Flat Panel TVs

Proliferation of Affordable Flat-Panel TVs Enhances Home Entertainment

New flat-panel TVs (LCD, LED, and OLED/QLED), are now available, in a wide range of sizes, at very attractive prices—making it practical to locate TV displays in almost any desired room in the home, even outdoors. Result: single-TV homes are increasingly rare today.

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENTS

Resolution

Over the past decade or so, the resolution of flat-panel TVs has increased very significantly, from the old Standard Definition (480 pixel) TVs, to High Definition (1080 pixel), to Ultra-High Definition (4K pixel)—with 8K models on the way. Ultra-High Definition TVs provide four times the resolution of the old High Definition (1080 pixels) models, and about eight times that of Standard Definition TV.

This means that very large TVs are now available with impressively high image quality. When combined with the superior contrast and color fidelity provided by OLED and QLED technologies (see below), they offer a magnificent viewing experience—and have rapidly become the industry standard.

Recently, 8K technology has begun to enter the market, for large projectors and extra-large flat-panel TVs. But as of this date, 8K video sources are not yet available, limiting the current practicality of these superior resolution products.

Contrast

Perhaps even more important that resolution, newer technologies like OLED and QLED now offer dramatically improved contrast and color saturation. Until recently, the home video industry has focused on improving definition. But contrast and color saturation are now more important than definition itself, for an immersive viewer experience.

TECHNOLOGY CHOICES

Here are the technological choices now available:

LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) TVs (and projectors) form a picture using the same basic technology found in laptop computers and monitors. Early LCD TVs suffered from poor off-axis performance (when viewed from the side, below, or above), marginal color fidelity, low usable contrast, and poor performance in scenes displaying rapid motion.

Recent advances in LCD technology have reduced these limitations. But they are still no equal to the newer technologies, and so are now available mostly in smaller sizes—where their limitations are not so evident or important—at very low prices.

LED (Light Emitting Diode) TVs employ the same liquid crystal pixel technology to create the image that LCDs use. But instead of using LCD’s single fluorescent tube behind the pixel array to provide light for the entire picture, LED TVs employ groups of light emitting diodes, arrayed either behind the pixels (back lit) or around the edge of the TV (edge lit). Both offer a bright, more uniform image, with low cost, low power consumption, and a very thin design.

LED (with Local Dimming). These back-lit LED TVs aren’t quite as thin as side-lit models, but provide more even illumination. Plus, some models provide a local dimming feature: they continuously analyze the brightness needed for each section of a scene about to be displayed, then selectively dim the LEDs located behind very bright sections, to eliminate blown-out details (like in snow scenes), and selectively brighten dim areas of the picture when needed (to improve shadow detail). Net result: better contrast.

Local dimming allows LED TVs to equal (or even exceed) the dynamic range and color fidelity of the old Plasma technology (where each pixel generated its own light), while providing a much brighter image than the Plasma TVs—at a lower cost.

OLED (Organic LED) and QLED. These newer technologies work without a back light, and are capable of a wide contrast range with great color accuracy, along with high resolution. Also, these TVs are very thin and flexible, and can even be made in curved forms. Combining the advantages of LED and Plasma technologies, they are now available from multiple manufacturers at increasingly competitive prices.

OLED and QLED: Preferred Technologies for Optimal Performance

Because of their superior performance, OLED/QLED have become the technologies of choice when optimal performance is required. See An Insider’s Guide to Smart Home Theater.